True Power
by RadosianStar
Summary: After the incident at Lady Hitomiko's shrine, the team decides to take a rest and, Kagome and Inuyasha contemplate all that has been revealed to them.


**A/N: This is my fist fanfic in this category, so I hope you like it. Takes place after the episode Hitomiko's barrier.**

* * *

"Something's sealing your true power," Inuyasha exclaimed quizically.

Kagome nodded. "That's what Lady Hitomiko said."

After the Kagome's confrontation with Lady Hitomiko, the sun began to set, so the band of friends decided to set up camp and discuss all that has happened to them. Everyone was gathered around the campfire, eating their fill and wondering what this information could mean.

"But Kagome's spiritual powers are already really strong, aren't they?" Shippo asked.

"Indeed," Miroku concurred, "aside from Lady Kikyo I've never met anyone as powerful as Kagome."

"That shouldn't be surprising considering that Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation." Sango added.

Miroku responded to her remark with a troubled expression. "But that would also mean that Kikyo is the only one with the power to seal Kagome's powers."

"I thought so too," said Kagome as she stared at the bow she received at Mount Azusa, the bow that Kikyo left her, "but if that's true why would she seal me?"

Everyone was perplexed by this possibility, granted that Kikyo didn't get along with Kagome at the beginning, but throughout the whole journey both women had the same goal: to destroy Naraku and the Shikon Jewel. And as Kikyo reached her end, she passed on her legacy to her reincarnation. It didn't make any sense for her to seal the powers of someone who shared her powers and resolve.

"Nevertheless," Miroku stated, "it is quite clear that Naraku is wary of Kagome's power, perhaps he is even more wary of Kagome than he was of Kikyo."

Everyone pondered over the monk's hypothesis, while it was true that in terms of power the two were nearly equal, Kikyo was the more skilled of the two. In addition, Naraku was also afraid of Kikyo not only for her spiritual power but also because his human heart, the one Onigumo possessed before being consumed by demons constantly yearned for her. What reason would he possibly for fearing Kagome more?

"Think about it." He continued. "We always knew that Kagome inherited her powers through Kikyo's will and yet according to Lady Hitomiko Kagome's true power is being sealed. That can only lead me to believe that this power did not come from Kikyo's will but rather it belongs to Kagome alone."

Kagome was shocked when she heard that. While Kagome never wanted to be seen as some alternate version of Kikyo, she never would have expected that she would obtain something in this journey that didn't already belong to the deceased priestess who shared her soul.

"I believe that once the seal has been removed, Kagome will surpass Kikyo in power," the monk concluded.

* * *

That night Kagome had trouble sleeping she couldn't stop thinking about the power that was sealed within her a power that she did not receive as Kikyo's reincarnation but a power that belonged to her alone. A power that could allow her to not only to destroy, their hated enemy, Naraku but also purify and destroy the Sacred Jewel.

It was lot for her to take in when she first came to the Feudal Era, she thought that her only role was collect the shards of the Jewel and make it whole, while ensuring that it none of them fell in the hands of those who intended to use the Jewel's power for dark purposes. But now it seems that the part she was meant to play when she entered this world extends far beyond to what she could have ever imagined. The Shikon Jewel travelled through time along with Kikyo's soul, after her body was cremated, and both were reborn within Kagome.

It was the Jewel that brought her into this world, it was because of the Jewel that she was born. Kagome knew from experience that all who came in contact with the Jewel were nothing more pawns manipulated by its power in order to benefit its purpose and those pawns are left with nothing but misery. Naraku himself was nothing more than another pawn to the Jewel but what did that make her? She who brought the Jewel back into the Feudal Era, concealed within her. Unlike all the others who were affected, she did not live in a world were war and violence were part of everyday life, all those who suffered or who wished to inflict suffering turned to the Jewel's power in order to fulfill their desires. Unlike all those who succumbed to its influence, Kagome was given a choice about whether or not she walked the path of the Warring States era. And while she did chose to continue travelling with Inuyasha and all her other friends she never realized that she would be the one with the power to decide the outcome of their battle.

A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. "Can't sleep?"

She turned her head to see Inuyasha who was staring right at her with kind and concerned eyes.

"I'm sorry," she replied, "I guess I can't quite get over what Miroku said."

"Do you want to… maybe talk about it?"

Kagome looked at him curiously it was the first time he had ever shown that much concern for a person, without putting on some sort of act to hide his true feelings. But she wasn't going to turn him down just for that.

"So…" he started, "what's been bothering you?"

"I guess it's this whole idea that I'm as powerful as Miroku says."

"So what," Inuysasha scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with being powerful, besides you've always used your spiritual powers before."

"Yeah, but I never would've imagined that I'd play such a huge part in all this. When I first came to this world, everyone talked about how I was supposed to be a reincarnation of Kikyo, but even so I never tried to be her. Part of the reason was I knew I could never be as powerful as she was. But now everyone seems to think I'm going to be stronger than she was." Kagome hugged her knees tightly and stared intently at the ground. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't know if I'll be strong enough to see this through."

Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her shoulder comfortingly. "You will be," he said with confidence.

Kagome just stared at him and asked ,"How can you be so sure?"

"Because from the moment I met you all you've done was get stronger. Not only that you've given all of us the strength to overcome all of the obstacles, you believed in us and that gave us the power to move on. You've always been strong enough to do that, and that has nothing to do with you being Kikyo's reincarnation." He pulled her closer towards him. "Besides, no matter what happens I'll always be by your side."

She pressed her head closer against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered and then quietly drifted back to sleep.

Inuyasha watched her as she slept, quietly transferring her sleeping form his should to his lap. Everyone who became involved with the Sacred Jewel suffered terribly, he remembered the pain and sorrow all his friends went through because of such the accursed object: Miroku whose cursed hand would swallow his entire being if something wasn't done, Sango lost most of her kinsmen and now fears for the life of her remorseful younger brother, Shippo who lost his family to demons, who desired the shards of the Sacred Jewel, and Kikyo died twice in the hopes of ridding the world of the Jewel. But Kagome, even though all she experienced during her time in the Feudal Era was difficult for her, it was more her inexperience that caused her pain rather than the Jewel's influence. He thought it would be all right as long as he saw her alive and smiling. Like Kikyo, Kagome was someone very precious to him, so he felt the need to keep her by his side and protect her and, at the time, her role was mostly limited to finding the shards of the Sacred Jewel, and he would be there to keep her safe. But now the very outcome of their battle depended on the strength of Kagome's will. He then began to realize that the Jewel had yet to unveil the plans it had in store for Kagome and that her fate may end up being far worse than all those who coveted the Jewel in the past, a fate worse than Kikyo's, a fate that Inuyasha feared, he couldn't save her from.

* * *

 **A/N: Tell me what you think.**


End file.
